The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7256 p11
5 July 2003

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

Products

Prescription Products
• Fuzeon injection
• Eccoxolac capsules
• Chloroquine sulphate injection
Discontinued products
• Calsynar
• Flexotard
• Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
• Clarityn syrup
• Dutonin tablets
Counter medicines
• Zirtek Allergy Solution

Prescription Products

Fuzeon injection

Composition: Enfuvirtide 90mg/ml.

Presentation: White to off-white powder and solvent for solution for injection.

Class: Fusion inhibitor.

Indication: As combination therapy with other antiretroviral drugs in HIV-1 infected patients who have received treatment with and failed on regimens containing at least one from each of the following antiretroviral classes; protease inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, or who have intolerance to previous antiretroviral regimens.

Dosage: Adults and adolescents Ž16 years: 90mg twice daily given subcutaneously into the upper arm, anterior thigh or abdomen.

Major cautions and contra-indications: Hypersensitivity to enfuvirtide or to any of the excipients. Hypersensitivity reactions — discontinue and do not restart Fuzeon. Fuzeon must be used as part of a combination regimen. Combine with other antiretrovirals to which the patient's virus is sensitive. Monitor patients closely for signs and symptoms of pneumonia. Use with caution in patients with underlying liver disorders, reduced hepatic function or in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment. Fuzeon should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. It is not known whether Fuzeon is secreted in human milk. Patients should be instructed never to shake the vial or turn it upside down to mix because this will cause excessive foaming.

Side effects: Local injection site reactions. Most other adverse events were mild or moderate in intensity. Insomnia and headache were very common (>1/10). Sinusitis, oral candidiasis, herpes simplex, skin papilloma, influenza, folliculitis, lymphadenopathy, anorexia, depression and anxiety, peripheral neuropathy, conjunctivitis, taste disturbance, pneumonia, dizziness, cough, constipation, upper abdominal pain, sore throat, pancreatitis, pruritus, night sweats, dry skin, sweating, myalgia, arthralgia, back or limb pain, muscle cramps, asthenia and influenza like illness were common (>1/100, <1/10).

Legal category: POM

Net price: 60 vials each containing 108mg enfuvirtide, 60 vials containing 1.1ml of water for injections; 60x3ml syringes; 60x1ml syringes; 180 alcohol swabs: £1,196 per pack.

Contact details: Roche, 40 Broadwater Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 3AY. Tel: 0800 328 1629

See SPC for further details.

Eccoxolac capsules

Eccoxolac (etodolac) capsules have been launched (Viatris Pharmaceuticals); net price, 300mg 60 £8.75.

Chloroquine sulphate injection

Chloroquine sulphate injection BP has been launched (Beacon Pharmaceuticals Ltd); net price, 200mg chloroquine base in 5ml 10x5ml ampoules £79.

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Discontinued products

Calsynar

The following Calsynar (calcitonin) injections have been discontinued:

• Calcitonin 100units/ml, 1ml and 2ml ampoules

• Calcitonin 200units/ml, 2ml ampoule

Any outstanding orders with Aventis Ltd will be cancelled.

Flexotard

Pharmacia Limited has discontinued Flexotard (diclofenac) 100mg tablets.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals

• Loxapac (loxapine succinate) tablets have been discontinued. All stocks of the 10mg tablets have been exhausted. Supplies of the 25mg and 50mg tablets are estimated to be available until December 2003 and the end of 2004, respectively.

• Varidase Topical ( streptokinase and streptodornase) powder, single vial, has been discontinued, with stocks available until September 2003. The combination pack (with sterile saline) remains available.

Clarityn syrup

Schering-Plough has discontinued the prescription-only pack of clarityn (loratidine) syrup, 100ml. The over-the-counter pack remains available.

Dutonin tablets

Bristol-Myers Squibb has discontinued Dutonin (nefazodone) tablets. The company estimates that stocks will be available from wholesalers for a number of weeks, but once exhausted, nefazodone can be obtained through IDIS World Medicines (020 8410 0710). For further information contact Bristol-Myers Squibb (0800 731 1736).

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Counter medicines

Zirtek Allergy Solution

The 200ml pack of Zirtek Allergy Solution (cetirizine 1mg/ml) has been reclassified from a prescription only medicine to a pharmacy medicine. The product was prev-iously called Zirtek Solution. Price 200ml, £10.50, recommended retail price £17.55.

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